Catwoman Vol 2 57

"Cataclysm, Part Fifteen: Reap What You Sow": Catwoman continues patrolling the destroyed Gotham City, searching for any looters and stopping them. Her path leads her to the WayneTech building where she finds [[Pamela Isley (New Earth)|Po

We are not in control. Every now and then life likes to reiterate that little point. Some people find such reminders disconcerting. They spend their lives in breathless pursuit of meaningless goals, hoping to forget everything they know about their own mortality. Some people anchor themselves to something larger. Religion, Art, Justice. Anything they deem significant in a life that's not. We are not in control. If we were, surely we'd know better than to care about anything.

Catwoman continues patrolling the destroyed Gotham City, searching for any looters and stopping them. Her path leads her to the WayneTech building where she finds Poison Ivy and a scientist who is serving as her go-between as she spreads her special fertilizer across the city.

Catwoman leaves them to it since it's none of her business, but as she's leaving, Ivy decides the scientist is no longer useful to her. Ivy gives him a poisonous kiss and walks away as her plants tangle around his neck. Catwoman tries to save him, but it's too late.

Catwoman and Ivy face each other, but before Catwoman can make her move, the vines entangle her. She breaks them with her whip. By the time she's freed herself, Ivy is gone. Catwoman follows her outside and finds an enormous tree that wasn't there when she arrived.

Poison Ivy arrives at the GCPD Headquarters and plants a seed on the street. Harvey Bullock tries to stop her, calling out for Soong and Montoya for backup, but Ivy uses her powers to bespell him. She goes in for a fatal kiss, only for Catwoman to jump down. Ivy runs.

Her fertilizer is already working, however, growing a giant tree in front of the GCPD. Bullock demands to know how to stop it, but Catwoman doesn't know. They try to rip the tree out by the roots, and with great effort, they manage it. Bullock falls over to the ground. By the time he catches his breath, Catwoman is gone.

Back in the WayneTech building, Catwoman searches for clues as to where Ivy will strike next. She remembers Ivy's dead accomplice mentioning that WayneTech had already delivered their fertilizer across town, and she steals a list of delivery sites from his corpse.

Catwoman deduces which site Poison Ivy will hit and chooses correctly, finding Ivy at Reservoir Park. She is about to drop her hyperseeds into the water, which will carry them citywide. Catwoman goes to sneak up on her, but she steps onto a spilled seed. The sound alerts Poison Ivy, and the two barely start to fight before Ivy throws the seeds into the water.

Catwoman jumps down and manages to catch the vial with her whip before it hits the water, but she is left hanging with one hand from the observation deck. Ivy scratches that hand, but before she can do anything else, Catwoman throws the vial at Ivy's face.

She screams as the seeds start to sprout in her face, thanks to the plant fertilizer she drank earlier, but she begs Catwoman to swear that she'll keep them growing even if it kills her.

Catwoman takes Ivy to the GCPD, and she tells herself that Ivy will be fine and the city is safe.

Links and References

This issue is a part of the Cataclysm crossover that swept through all Batman FamilyTitles during 1998. Gotham City was almost completely destroyed by a massive earthquake. This story led into the events that would eventually create No Man's Land.